A Fair to Remember
by HopelessRomantic79
Summary: Bella and Edward reunite after years at the Clallam County Fair. Will the sparks still be there? AH/AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, basically this is a lovechild of my job working as a ticket seller at county fairs here in OR. You may have seen me if you went to Linn, Clatsop or Douglas County Fairs. ;-) Obviously, these two are going to have a better time than I did. ;-) This was supposed to be a one-shot, but it got out of control, so it will be a lot longer than that. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, nor am I SM. Damn.**

**BPOV**

"Alrighty, here's yer booth. Yer register. Yer price list. Yer start till. These're the passes, memorize the colors, here's yer field box, it's got the counterfeit pen, some hand sanitizer, some extra register tape…" My supervisor droned on and on, touching each item as she pointed it out. I kept up easily. This wasn't rocket science.

How I ever got this job, for which I was one bachelor's degree over-qualified, was beyond me. I briefly wondered if it was too late to back out of my job as cashier and ticket seller for the Clallam County Fair in Port Angeles, Washington.

"Lock up, but not before yer register mate joins ya," she drawled. I could tell she was bored herself.

"Wh-" I went to ask, but the door to the booth had slammed closed behind her. I began counting my start till, placing each amount carefully into the register. My area was neat and ready for business.

I wondered briefly who my register mate would be. We'd be spending the next four days locked up in this room together, for 12 hours at a time. I had better like him or her. I sighed. I supposed they'd want to chit chat, too. Business wouldn't exactly be hopping at every hour. I just hoped they wouldn't be overly talkative or rude, or something like that. That would nearly be unbearable.

The time was fast approaching when we were supposed to start charging people. A few straggled in, waving their 4-H bands at me, and I waved them through the gate.

A moment later, the door burst open, and a harried body flew into the booth.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" a silky voice kept saying, and I froze, though my back was turned towards him. _Him. _I knew that voice, I'd know it for the rest of my life even if he walked out that door again in the next instant.

_Edward Cullen._

My heart stopped for a heartbeat, then sped up to an unreasonable pace.

I took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself as I spun around on the metal stool. I nearly had a heart attack as I looked to see him bending over at the waist, fiddling around with his backpack, tossing random items out onto the dusty floor of the booth. If it weren't for the shock of copper hair I chanced to see, I wouldn't know who this mystery man was… though I'd still want to reach out and grab, or even bite, his perfect ass. I bit my lip to keep from moaning.

"I'm really sorry I'm late, my stupid brother had my car out last night and he didn't come back first thing… and it took too long to get here from Forks, stupid semi going forty-five..."

He finally stood, and I immediately noted that he was more built than he was in high school. I shivered at the thought. He still towered over me, but that was no surprise. He was wearing a work shirt just like me, and khaki shorts, and I admired the definition of muscles I could see.

When he finally turned, I was speechless. I had to fight with my jaw to stop from dropping, and much to my dismay, a helpless little whimper escaped my throat, unbidden. He was even more beautiful than I remembered. He had the same angelic face, but somehow more masculine and rough. He had stubble from missing a days shave, and it merely made him look sexier than ever before. His eyes were still that piercing shade of green, with an intensity that made my stomach quiver. And his mouth… I licked my lips subconsciously just thinking about the things I'd like his mouth to do to me.

"Hi, Edward," I said shakily. Damn it. _Steady yourself, Bella, _I scolded.

"Hi… Bella, right?"

"Right," I said. "Forks High, remember? Lab partners?"

"Yeah, that's right," he said warmly, but I somehow doubted he really remembered. We were on two different levels in high school. He was _Edward Cullen, _soccer and swimming star, popular and well loved by the entire Forks population. And I was Bella, bookworm and police chief's daughter. Plain and simple.

"Unfortunately, I'm very well acquainted with these bad boys," Edward said, patting the side of the register. "Can't pay through pre-med without manning a register at one point or another."

Med school. Figures. He was always a genius in biology. I kept up pretty well, though science wasn't exactly my forte.

"Yeah, I'll bet," I said dumbly, and I mentally kicked myself.

Edward quickly got his things together, and we were suddenly open for business. A few people trickled in from the parking lot, and we took their money efficiently. By noon, enough people were coming in that I didn't have to worry about awkward silences. We worked well together, only speaking when we needed another roll of register tape or the counterfeit pen.

I was electrically aware of him. I couldn't believe that the four years we'd been apart hadn't changed a thing for me. I felt the same, if not more, for him than I did back in high school, when he hardly noticed I was alive, and he was Rosalie Hale's boyfriend, Prom King, and Valedictorian. True, I was Salutatorian, but despite having every class together, he'd hardly noticed me while I noticed everything he did. It had hurt then, and I was shocked to realize it hurt now.

Around 3 pm, the huge rush of crowds had died down, and we were finally free to sit and wait for new customers, or, as my supervisor preferred, _guests. _

"So Bella, tell me. What have you been up to these last few years?"

Edward smiled at me lopsidedly, and I felt a furious blush creep up my face. It almost hurt to look into his eyes, but I forced myself.

"Well, I went to UW, and got a bachelor's in English. Just graduated this June," I said proudly.

"So, what do you want to do with that?"

I smiled genuinely for the first time that day. "I want to write. I'm not sure what… a novel of some kind. Something fun, romantic maybe. But my next book will be a murder mystery," I told him, and he burst into laughter.

"Good combination," he said, and I was transfixed by his laughter, his voice.

"I thought so," I said cheekily, trying to make myself lighten up. "It'll make a million bucks. But in the meantime, I've gotta make some money, which is why I'm working here." I gestured towards the ceiling, making my point.

"Same. I mean, I'm not going to write a book or anything. But, as I said before, I've got to make it through med school somehow."

"Are you home for the summer?"

"Just till the end of August," he said, and my heart fell. Only a week or so.

"Where do you go to school?" I asked.

"Dartmouth, but I'll be going to OHSU starting in a few weeks."

"Oh, wow, that's amazing," I said. See? Way out of my league. "Did you like it there?"

"Yeah, it's nice. It was far from here, which was good."

"I bet. I never wanted to come home after school, but one circumstance led to another, and here I am."

"Right," he said thoughtfully, and was quiet for a moment. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

**EPOV**

At that moment, I wanted to kick myself. I can't believe I just said that…

It's just that from the moment I stepped into the booth and breathed in her scent… a wonderful combination of strawberry shampoo and just plain _Bella, _I'd wanted to hoist her up onto the register counter and do… things… to her that I couldn't even believe I was thinking of.

And I had to know if that was an option. If I had even one iota of a chance.

"No," she said quietly, and I rejoiced.

She was blushing, which made her porcelain skin glow beautifully. I knew something was up, because I'd thought of the words _glow _and _beautifully. _I inwardly growled.

"Are you… did you… are you still with Rosalie?" she asked bashfully, partly hiding behind her thick brown hair.

"God, no. We broke up a week after graduation!" I laughed. "Rose and I… no way. There was a mistake I'd like to forget about forever. "She's with my brother, Emmett, now. Remember Emmett?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, they got together pretty much the day after she and I broke up. Pretty serious now, actually. I think he might propose."

"Really?" Her doe eyes were wide with surprise at this tiny piece of gossip. I'd never pinned her as the kind of girl that really was into hearsay, but I dismissed it.

"Yep," I said, and then a customer came up to buy a ticket, and the conversation was ended. A slow but steady stream of people came through then, and picking up another conversation with Bella was out of the question.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye, watching her as she interacted with the customers. She was quiet, but polite, and knew exactly how to make the customer feel like they were VIPs.

How had I been so blind? She'd been my lab partner, and rival for the best grades, all through high school. We'd grown up in the same town, known the same people, been to the same places, done all the same things, for the most part.

I had never noticed the way she bit her lip when she was nervous or amused. Her long silky legs, despite her tiny frame. The way her hair curled at the ends, and her eyes were a deep brown that felt like they could peer into your soul.

It scared me how instantly and deeply I was attracted to her. I mean, lustful attraction was nothing. That could be expected. Yet as much as I wanted her body, I also wanted to know what was in her mind. What she was thinking, what secrets she kept. I wanted to know her entirely, and that's what scared me. After all, we'd really only been talking for a whole ten minutes.

She was smart, and creative. You had to be both to be a writer. She was beautiful and modest. I had to know more. I had three and a half days to find out all that I could. It wasn't nearly enough time, I could already tell.

**BPOV**

The rest of the day went by quickly. Much too quickly. I wanted to stay by Edward's side… well… forever. He had a comforting presence, and I felt safe with him. We continued friendly banter between transactions, and later in the day, when we'd both reached for the counterfeit pen at the same time, our hands had brushed together and my entire body erupted in flames. From the startled look in his eyes, I thought he had perhaps felt the same thing, and the idea terrified and thrilled me.

Our shift ended at nine, and we counted our final till. Edward had the rather annoying tendency to count under his breath. I was glad to know he wasn't entirely perfect.

"Shut. Up." I said firmly, though I smiled to let him know I wasn't a total bitch.

He counted louder for a moment, to tease me, then smiled crookedly and continued counting, to himself this time.

My heart nearly stopped beating.

I shook my head, trying to shake several naughty images of the two of us entangled together out of my head, and turned back to my totals.

When we were all finished, we put our money into our bank bags, and signed out on our time sheets. It was twilight, the sunset barely visible above the trees.

"You hungry?" he asked suddenly.

"I… err… yes," I said, shocked. Edward Cullen was asking me to eat dinner with him? Granted, it was at the Clallam County Fair, so that entailed greasy, questionable fair food, but I couldn't have cared less. He might have asked me if I wanted to eat escargot and trash directly from the carnival, but I would have said yes.

"What are you in the mood for? Corndog? Hamburger? Chicken burrito? Noodles? Elephant ear?" He grinned wickedly, and my heart stopped beating for a full three seconds.

"Whatever you want… I don't really care," I told him. I was beyond making rational decisions for myself. Whatever he wanted, he'd get. It was completely pathetic.

"Let's go over this way," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the food court, if it could be called that.

There were several picnic tables running down the center of the court, flanked by various food stands. Edward zoned in on a stand that specialized in corn dogs, and quickly bought two, and drinks. "You want fries, too?" he asked.

I nodded enthusiastically, and went to get us paper cups of ketchup and napkins. We settled in to an empty table and dug in to our food. I had to admit that after 12 hours in a cramped booth with little food and water, that our meal was amazingly delicious.

Edward moaned in approval as he took a huge bite from his corndog, and the sound sunk into my bones and vibrated down to my very core. My panties were a bit more damp now thanks to him.

I licked my lips and took a bite of my own corndog, and his eyes zeroed in on me. They were intense and dark, and his jaw was tight. I felt a blush fire up on my cheeks.

"So, tell me more about yourself, Bella," he said in a low, seductive voice that was so out of place in the setting we were currently in. I didn't care. The fair be damned, I was with Edward… and he wanted to get to know me.

"Well… what do you want to know?"

"Everything."

**EPOV**

When she had taken a bite of that corndog… it was all I had in me to not leap over the picnic table and take her over it. I wanted to see how her mouth would look wrapped around my… _Calm down, Edward, _I told myself.

To distract myself, and to remind myself that I wanted more from her than just her body, I asked her to tell me about herself. I was being one hundred percent honest when I said that I wanted to know everything about her.

She seemed flustered with my answer, so I settled for asking her individual questions, about her school, about her family, about her likes and dislikes. I carefully observed her behaviors, trying not to seem like too much of a creep. I noted she avoided mustard, and always dipped her fries into the ketchup one by one, making sure to not get more than half of the fry dipped in the red sauce. When she took a sip of her pop, she would lick her top lip. Some of my questions made her blush, something I was beginning to appreciate more and more with each passing moment. Each blush gave her away, and it was easy to tell when she was embarrassed or fibbing.

However, that didn't mean she was easy to read. I found myself desperately wishing I could read her mind, know what she was thinking. It was frustrating, but exciting. All other girls I'd ever dated were so predictable, so forward and open. Bella was a book half-open, and I loved that fact.

I wanted to linger with her there, in the fair, all night, but it was late and we had been working for 12 hours straight, and we both had an hour's drive ahead of us back home.

"Hey, Bella, you work tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, of course. Same time, same place," she grinned.

"I was wondering if you wanted to drive together from Forks in the morning. You know, carpool, save on gas, help out the planet, all that jazz."

I hoped to God the look on my face wasn't too hopeful.

She bit her lip and nodded. "Sure. Do you know where I live?"

"Uh, no. What's your address?"

She gave me her address and phone number, so I could call her when I got to her house, and I did a victory dance in my head. Address _and _phone number at once?

I grinned at her happily, and bade her good night.

We walked out to our respective cars, hers a beat up old red Chevy truck, and mine a shiny silver Volvo. She looked slightly embarrassed at her clunker, and extremely relieved when it started easily with a turn of her key. She gave a short wave, and threw her truck into reverse, driving away.

I watched her until she was around the corner, and then I sat in my car, willing my unwanted hard-on and pounding heart to knock it off.

I shouldn't have felt this connection. Not this fast. Not this strong. But it was there, and I wasn't going to ignore it. Bella had some sort of power over me, and I wasn't going to throw it away if she felt the same for me. God, I hoped she did.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank God, FF works again!!!! :-D Been chomping the bit to update. Goodness. Anyways, thanks to LittleLea05 for being my rockin' beta, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. :-)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it. Sadness.**

**BPOV**

The next morning, at 8 am sharp, I got a text on my phone from Edward. _I'm here, _it said simply.

I checked myself in the mirror, making sure I didn't have food on my face from breakfast or something horrible. I had woken up early to add a little mascara and lip gloss, something I rarely did, and I hoped it wasn't too noticeable, and if it was, not too obvious.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before I flung the door opened and walked briskly to the Volvo, nearly forgetting to lock the front door as I did so.

There was Edward, standing at the passenger's side of the door of his silver Volvo, looking sexier than any person had any right to be in a work uniform.

His bronze hair was more tousled than usual, reminding me of bed hair, or better, sex hair. I gave him a big smile as I walked towards him, and he returned the gesture with a crooked grin that had my heart careening into my chest.

"Good morning, Bella," he said, and held the door open for me. I'm sure my mouth dropped in shock, but I recovered quickly, and slid into the leather seat as he closed it behind me. He moved quickly to his side of the car, and jumped in beside me, starting the car as it leapt to life with a low purr of the engine.

"Hi, Edward," I said, realizing suddenly I'd forgotten to do so before. How this guy still rendered me speechless was beyond me.

"How did you sleep?" he asked brightly as he sped down my tiny street.

"Good. I practically fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow," I said with a laugh. "You?"

"Same," he admitted.

We slipped into easy conversation as we headed out of Forks and towards Port Angeles. I noted that he drove a bit too fast for my liking, pushing the needle of the speedometer past where I normally would have pushed, but I kept my mouth shut. He seemed to be a very capable driver otherwise. Not for the first time, I felt safe with him.

I noted that he also had a CD of classical music playing low in the background.

"I love this song," I said, turning it up slightly till it filled the car. "Clair de Lune," I said softly, and thought of my mother, Renee.

Edward smiled. "It's one of my favorites as well," he admitted. "I play it for my mother sometimes."

"You play piano?"

"Frequently," he said. I tried to push fantasies out of my head featuring him playing the piano for me and then taking me up against it. I shivered slightly.

"You any good?" I asked, trying to break my own tension.

"I guess so," he said. "I'll have to play for you sometime."

"I'd like that," I said with a smile.

We reached Port Angeles in record time, thanks to Edward's slightly maniac driving, and he flashed our parking pass and a knee-weakening smile at the young parking attendant. She waved us through with a dazed smile, and I couldn't blame her one bit.

He swung into an empty parking space, and we tromped through the dust and grass of the vendor parking lot to the main gates. Our supervisor bustled over to us, thrusting our start tills into our hands, and practically shoving us into the booth so we could start charging people as soon as possible.

**EPOV**

The pace of the day was such that Bella and I hardly got a spare moment to talk. It was "Buddy Day," and there were several different coupons to deal with on the register. It was pure chaos at times.

About half way through the day, Bella swore softly under her breath, and the register let out a high pitched beep.

"Edward, what do I do?!" she hissed frantically, trying not to panic in front of a stream of customers.

"Here," I said, trying to diagnose the problem. I quickly found the error, and showed her how to fix it.

My fingers brushed hers when I demonstrated on the keys, and I felt the same electric shock that happened yesterday when we touched. I had tried to explain it away or dismiss it as a fluke, but now it was too strong to ignore, and by the expression on her face, I knew she felt it, too.

She blushed crimson, and I cleared my throat before finishing my explanation. We dealt with the customers and moved on.

We had a bit of a lunch break around 2 pm, when there was a slight lull in the crowd.

We talked again, and I tried not to make my questions sound like a third degree grill. I was genuinely interested, still, and she seemed to want to know just as much about me as I did with her.

I loved her laugh. She wasn't quick to laugh, so I knew that when she did, it was truly special. She sounded like bells when she laughed, and she very rarely giggled.

"I wish I could listen to some music right now," she said mournfully. "I'm dying with that country crap they keep playing over there."

"Country's not so bad… if it's the right stuff," I said, and she looked extremely surprised.

"What? I like all music. No genre is bad, but songs can be."

She grinned in agreement, and quickly sat up as a stray customer came through. She gave the old man a ticket, then settled back down on the metal stool we'd been given to share. I was a gentleman and sat on the floor.

"You surprise me," she said suddenly. She was appraising me with her eyes.

"How so?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it. But it's a good thing."

I grinned at her. She looked like she regretted what she had said, but I was glad she had. She was so adorable when she spoke her mind.

"Well, I'm just glad I'm getting to know you, Bella. I'm kind of mad at myself that we never really knew each other in high school."

She blushed furiously, and I could tell she was shocked. "Same."

More customers came, and we busied ourselves at the cash register for hours. It was dark by the time we were able to start counting our final tills and close up.

"Dinner tonight?" I asked, and she agreed.

"Tonight, I'm choosing," she said, and I followed her to a stand that was selling Italian food.

"Fried ravioli?!" I said incredulously. "Really?"

"I've never had it before," she said, shrugging. "Gotta be a first time for everything, right?"

"Okay," I said reluctantly, and accepted the paper plate from her.

We sat next to the small stage where a young kid was playing a guitar. I had to admit, he was pretty good, and since he wasn't singing, it provided a nice place for conversation. We ate, and I had to admit, it was pretty good, albeit strange.

We continued our conversation all the way back to Forks. When the night was over, I didn't want to say goodbye.

I was overwhelmed by the feelings I had for her. It shouldn't be so fast, so easy. But falling for her was the easiest thing I'd ever done.

I was pretty sure I was falling in love with Bella Swan.

I pulled in front of her house, and looked at her. The street lamp was streaming light through the window, and made her hair shine. I wanted to pull my fingers through it, evaluate the texture, and bury my nose in it to ascertain its precise scent.

I wanted desperately to kiss her.

"Well, I should get to bed," she said, and the words immediately brought images in my mind neither one of us were prepared to reenact.

"Right," I said. "I'll be here, same time tomorrow."

"Good," she said, and gave me a smile that made my pulse scramble.

She had her hand on the door handle when I reached out to stop her.

"Wait," I said, surprised my voice was suddenly deep and husky.

She looked at me, eyes wide, and I was sure I saw traces of hope and lust in her eyes. At least, that's what I hoped they were telling me.

"Bella… would it be alright if I kissed you? I know it's sort of sudden, but it's something I've wanted to do since I first saw you yesterday."

Her jaw literally dropped. The car was filled with silence as she assessed me. I was pretty sure she was making sure I wasn't teasing her. There was no way on earth this was a joke.

"Yes," she said hoarsely. She licked her lips, and it was hard to not notice that her breaths were already coming out in pants.

I leaned towards her, and took her hand in mine. My other hand moved up to cup her face, and pull her closer to me. It was mildly difficult to shift so we were facing each other properly, but there was no way I was going to do this half-assed.

I had to smile when I realized she was practically hyperventilating in the seat next to me. Our lips were so close together that I could feel her breath fan across my lips, and I licked my own lips before finally closing the gap between us.

I wasn't prepared at all for the sensation that passed between us as I kissed her. The kiss started out softly, but the pulse of electricity soon lit it up so that I was pulling her closely to me, and tracing my tongue across the seam of her lips, begging for access.

Bella's taste was phenomenal. Her tongue eagerly met with mine, and I seeped myself in the flavor that was Bella. Her moans made my dick ache with need, and I fought hard to concentrate merely on her mouth.

Her hands found themselves in my hair, pulling my lips impossibly closer. My hands found the sides of her waist, and attempted to pull her closer still to my body. She was so warm and feminine. My hands itched to find themselves under her clothes, but that was step too far too fast. I was losing myself in her, and I had to stop before it got too heated.

If only I could tear myself away from her…

The kiss lasted for what seemed like ages. I never wanted to part from her.

Unfortunately, the need for oxygen overpowered any sensation and desire we might have had, and we finally pulled apart.

Bella's eyes fluttered open, unfocused and brimming with need. Her lips were swollen and red from my kisses, and it made my cock jump a little in my pants.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Yeah," I whispered back. "I have to do that again," I said, and I pulled her to me again,

kissing her thoroughly. This kiss was deeper, faster, and full of passion. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and pulled me back towards her so I was half sprawled across the seat.

I wanted to be closer. There was no way I was close enough to her. Her kisses were miracles. And the things she did with her tongue… I couldn't wait to see what she'd do with it on other parts of me.

She shivered as I pulled away and nipped at her neck. Her skin tasted like sin, and I wanted to transgress over and over again.

"Mmm, Edward," she moaned, and I almost lost control. I had to pull back before it was too late, before I never stopped.

I kissed her lips one last time, and pulled back reluctantly.

She was panting for breath, and I found that I was, too.

"I should go," she said, but I could tell she was just as unwilling to go as I was to let her.

"Right. I'll see you in the morning."

She pulled away, and I felt cold without her in my arms.

"Night," she whispered. She leaned back to kiss me chastely once, then twice. I didn't want to let her go. I was done. Bella was it. The One.

She opened the door and stepped out, and I was pleased to see she was a little shaky on her legs. I affected her as much as she affected me. She gave me an adorable smile and wave, and walked to her door, letting herself in, after giving me another wave. I returned it, and had to sit at the curb for several minutes to calm myself down for the drive home.

I was in so much trouble. I needed her. I loved her.

**BPOV**

My knees were weak when I stepped out of the Volvo, and I wasn't quite sure I made it to the front door without simply collapsing on my Jell-O legs.

That kiss… those kisses… I was burning up. I had never believed kisses could be like that. Jacob Black had tried, and epically failed in that category, I could see now. I never wanted anyone else's mouth to be on mine. I only wanted his hands on me. I never wanted for him to stop…

I had to tell someone. _Alice. _She was still living in Seattle with her boyfriend, Jasper, and I knew I had the potential to be interrupting something between them, as it was past midnight, but I couldn't bring myself to care. She had to know!

I collapsed on my bed, heart still racing, the taste of Edward still on my lips, and called Alice. She answered after four rings, and she sounded slightly breathless. _Great._

"Alice, can you talk?"

"Yeah," she said, sounding overly excited. I heard a deep voice in the background, and knew she was there with Jasper. I heard a sloppy kiss, wrinkled my nose in disgust, and then Alice was back on the phone.

"So, Bella! How are you?! It's past midnight, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's great… I just fell in love again."

"Again?! What?! Who?! What?!" I could practically hear her bouncing up and down.

"Edward Cullen," I said dreamily.

"The guy from your high school? The really sexy one?"

"The very same one."

"So, what happened? Did he kiss you? Are you dating? Tell me!"

"We work together, at the fair. When I saw him again, I felt the same things I did when we were lab partners in high school. It's only been two days, but I know that he's the one for me. And tonight… we spent all day together, yesterday and today… but tonight, he kissed me. And I mean REALLY kissed me."

Alice squealed so loudly I had to hold the phone away from my ear. "Tell me EVERYTHING!" she demanded.

I gave her the dirty details, and we both spent the next twenty minutes swooning over the glory that is Edward Cullen.

"So, what do I do when I see him in the morning? Kiss him? Because that's the only thing I want to do… Oh my GOD, how am I supposed to work with him for twelve hours and keep my hands to myself?! It's not like we can sneak away… Gahh!"

"Bella, relax. When he picks you up in the morning, go off of how he's acting. If he's relaxed and happy, kiss him. Unless he kisses you first."

"And what if he's not relaxed and happy?"

"Don't worry about it. He'll be happy," she assured me.

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Trust me, Bella. You will be getting a lot of kisses… and a lot more than kisses… sooner than you think!"

Alice always seemed to know… and I never bet against her.

"Alright, Alice, I've kept you away from your man long enough. I'll talk to you later!"

"Bella, you best be calling me tomorrow night to tell me what happened, alright? That is… if you're not too busy."

I blushed, and I knew she knew I did. "Good night Bella, sweet dreams about your hunky man." I could practically hear her wink.

"G'night Alice."

She hung up, and I lay back on the bed, still bombarded with images and sensations of Edward kissing me. The ache inside my body only intensified with each passing moment, until I was practically writhing against my pillows, pretending he was hovering over me, kissing me, holding me, setting my body on fire.

My hand couldn't help but meander down my body, pausing briefly at my breasts, and then down towards my center, which was wet and aching for Edward. I fulfilled my need temporarily with my fingers, but I knew it would never be enough until he was the one filling me, making me complete.

I drifted off to sleep, thoughts of Edward foremost on my mind.

The next morning, I awoke extremely nervous. Alice had assured me that he would be pleased about last night, and that he'd want more, but I was terrified that he would think it was all just one big mistake. I couldn't bear to think about if he did.

I ate, but barely tasted my food. My hands were shaky as I lifted the spoonful of cereal to my lips.

Ten minutes before I expected Edward to show up, I heard several blasts of his horn pierce the silent morning.

I finished with my makeup, and dashed out the door, sickly eager to know how he felt. I would just have to deal with any consequence, good or bad.

The first thing I saw was his electric smile. I instantly relaxed, and smiled back.

"Good morning, Bella," he greeted me, and reached out to grab my hand, kissing the back of it. I blushed embarrassingly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. You?"

"Very well. I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Same," I said, looking down at the ground. The tip of my shoe became very interesting suddenly. I just couldn't believe he could possibly think of me the same way I did of him.

Suddenly, I felt his arms wrapping around me, and I was pulled to his broad, strong chest. My hands, which had been trapped between us, softened and wrapped themselves around his neck. We were in the kind of embrace I'd spent my entire life dreaming about, but never believing I'd actually be a part of.

"Bella, I'm going to have to kiss you now. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since last night… I need…"

His dipped his head and kissed me soundly. The blood was roaring in my ears, and my heart was throbbing in my chest. I needed to be close… closer. I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him harder, to bring our bodies closer in contact.

He darted his tongue out to sweep across my lips, and I opened my mouth up to him for exploration. I wanted to taste him. All of him. I wanted to touch him everywhere, to possess him, to make him mine. I wanted to be his.

I lost myself in Edward's arms. The feeling of his lips against mine was like no other, and I could easily see myself doing it over and over again. I moaned gently into his mouth, and it seemed to encourage him. His hands were everywhere and nowhere I wanted them to be. One hand was fast at the small of my back, pushing me against his body, while the other ran up and down my left side. Goosebumps ran up and down my body, and I couldn't help but whimper helplessly.

Far too soon, he pulled away. I couldn't do anything but cling to him and stare up at him with half-hooded lids. He looked as stunned as I felt.

"I think we should get going," he said breathlessly.

"Yeah, I guess so," I whispered, but the last thing I wanted to do was pull out of his arms. I could feel his arousal against my stomach, and all I wanted to do was banish our clothes and welcome him inside me, over and over.

I blushed at my own dirty thoughts, and Edward grinned at me, almost as if he could look into my mind and see what I was envisioning.

When he pulled away from me, I was instantly cold. I shivered, and let myself into the car, closing the door softly behind me. Edward climbed into the driver's seat, and we were off towards Port Angeles.

The tension between us was thick the entire way there, and continued on into our booths. It took everything in me to keep from reaching out to him and kissing the breath out of him. The electricity was crackling between us every time we touched or made eye contact.

In between customers, he'd grasp my hand and ask me more questions about my life. Whenever a person would come up to buy a ticket, he'd kiss the back of my hand and let go reluctantly, taking care of the transaction.

I was falling for him, hard and fast, much more intensely than anything I felt for him in high school. I remembered with a pang that our last day together was tomorrow, and that he'd be gone for med school a week later. I wilted inside with the thought.

Edward turned from the register, and his face fell when he saw mine.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said, too quickly.

He frowned at me. "Bella," he said in a warning tone.

"I don't want this to end," I blurted out.

"The fair?" he smirked. I fought down my urge to smack him.

"No… us. This, whatever it is. I've waiting too long to-"

I stopped mid-sentence, but the damage was done.

His eyes darkened. "How long?"

There was no way out of this. I had to be honest. His eyes pierced my soul and there was no way I could hide from him.

"Since we were lab partners in high school," I said quietly.

"Whoa," he said, and ran a hand through his gorgeous locks. A man approached the glass window before Edward could respond, and when Edward exchanged the money for a ticket, his voice was brassy and loud. Too enthusiastic.

I watched him, knowing I had freaked him out with my lengthy crush, and turned towards the window, waving over another group of people, giving them change and tickets. I felt his eyes on me. They burned through me, exposing everything until I was stripped bare.

My chest was heavy. _Stupid Bella, _I thought. _Ruin everything… _

There were enough people streaming through the gates to distract us from our conversation. I felt like a moron.

_Stupid verbal diarrhea…_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow, I haven't updated this in ages!!! Hope you're all still interested. Thanks so much to lynntjax for pointing out my boo-boo last chapter. It's all fixed now!!! Thanks hun. *slaps forehead in embarrassment***

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight... but I do own some panties Edward's more than welcome to rip off me if he so chooses. ;-)**

**EPOV**

She's liked me since high school? I kept her waiting this long? Damn, I'm a jerk.

Now that I knew how she felt in my arms, and how beautiful and intelligent and sweet she was, I knew I could never let her go. It hurt to think about leaving in such a short time. Yes, I'd be at OHSU, which was only a few hours away from her, but the thought of being in a different state… It had only been three days, but I knew she'd changed me forever.

We didn't get a lot of time to talk, but Bella was tense the rest of the day. I wished desperately that I had the time to get her alone and tell her I was sorry for not knowing, for not making a move sooner. I still couldn't believe I hadn't noticed her in high school. Yes, I was dating Rosalie, but I had never had true feelings for her. I was still incredibly grateful to Emmett for taking her off my hands… and they're happy together, so it was a win-win situation for everyone.

How I had missed Bella's sweet smile? Her amazing mind? Her gorgeous body?

I was such a fool.

Closing time came around again, and we counted our tills in silence. I kept stealing glances out of the corner of my eye, much like I had during the day. I loved watching her count. She didn't make a sound, but she mouthed each number as she added up the total, and kept a notebook where she added the numbers together in her tiny, neat scrawl.

I guess she sensed my eyes on her, because she turned towards me, money still in hand.

"What?" she asked, taking in my captivated stare.

"You're so beautiful. And I'm so sorry," I said simply. A furrow appeared in her brow, clearly confused.

"What? Why are you sorry?"

"For not noticing. For not getting to know you sooner. For not realizing what a jerk I was in high school. For making you wait so long. I'm not worth it."

She looked at me like I was crazy. I couldn't help but chuckle at her expression.

"Edward, you are completely worth it. _I'm _the one who isn't-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," I said fiercely.

She pouted for a moment, continuing to count her money. I quickly did the same, because I wanted to finish our conversation. I had to tell her how I felt. She had to know she was worth so much more than she gave herself credit for. How wonderful she really was, how much I loved… I sighed. I wasn't sure she was ready to hear it, and I wasn't sure I was ready to say it. Someday I would. I just didn't want to do it in this tiny little shack they dared call a ticket booth.

"Are you hungry?" I asked after we'd turned in our tills and reconciled the totals. Both registers were spot on.

"Yeah," she said. I took her hand, and she smiled at me. But it wasn't the same as last night. As this morning. I had to put that smile back on her face.

"I'm really craving a hamburger, how about you?"

"Sounds good," she agreed, and we walked to the appropriate stand.

Tonight was a lot more crowded, so it was harder to find seating. We were halfway between the fair and the carnival when we found an empty bench. We ate in silence, and I watched her, abandoning my own food after awhile.

"Bella, I don't ever want to hear you say you're not good enough for me. That's absolutely absurd."

"Edward, I-" she paused, flushing slightly. I loved it when she blushed. She looked so innocent that way. Like she wasn't aware of all the things I wanted to do to her… _Knock it off, jerkoff, _I told myself.

"I'm sorry I freaked you out by telling you I've liked you for so long… Kinda creepy, I know…"

"You most certainly did not. I'm just sorry I didn't realize it before. Bella, you're amazing. I don't know what you see in me, but when I look at you, all I see is smart, beautiful and sexy. And I want to be yours so bad…"

She looked startled, but incredibly pleased when I told her this. Then she looked like she remembered something, and a pout slid onto her lips.

"We only have tomorrow. And soon you're leaving. There's no time."

She looked utterly heartbroken, and I felt the same way.

"Then we'll have to make the most of this while we can…" I trailed off suggestively. She bit her lip and I had to fight to restrain myself from kissing her senseless. We were in a public place, after all. Family atmosphere and whatnot… I cursed them all.

Minutes later, Bella was finishing her food, and was practically dragging me to the Volvo. I barely even had the key out of my pocket when she pushed me against the car door, practically jumping on me. Her tongue pried my lips apart, and after a moment of pure shock, I returned the kiss just as enthusiastically.

"I'm so sorry… such an idiot… thought you were mad… want you so bad…" she moaned between kisses. I dragged her hips closer to mine, letting her know exactly how badly I wanted her. Her little moans and sighs were going straight to my dick, and I was harder than a rock.

She wasn't relenting in her kisses, and I soon realized two things. One, if she didn't stop, I was going to take her right up against my car, and two, there were people milling about in the parking lot, and I wasn't about to give them an eyeful.

Reluctantly, I pulled away from Bella. Her eyes fluttered open, and they were glassy with desire. It took all of my will-power to not just carry on with what we were doing.

"Bella, not here. Not now," I whispered.

Her blush deepened further, and all I wanted was to find out how far that blush extended.

I had to separate us before it got out of hand. "Let's go," I said, unlocking the car. She walked slowly to the other side, and I noticed once again she wasn't steady on her legs. I knew that if I had to walk anywhere at this given moment, I'd be limping.

"OK, ground rules of this car," I said, smirking. "One: you must keep your hands to yourself while the car is traveling over one mile per hour. Two: Once the car is parked, all bets are off. Three: If and when we have sex, it will not be in this car. You are too important and special for that."

"_If_?" she asked, playfully pouting.

"Fine. _When." _

"How soon will _when _be?" My heart nearly stopped at her seductive tone.

"Soon," I promised.

"Good," she practically purred. Her mood swings from sad and depressed to horny and seductive were making my head spin, but I couldn't blame her. We only had a few days left together, if we could find time after the fair to meet. I wasn't about to waste a second of it.

I revved the engine, and pulled out of the space in record time. I had to get back to Forks before I imploded. The fires Bella set within me were tearing down every bit of restraint I had in me. I had never been this crazy over a woman before in my life. I had to have her.

On the way home, I made her tell me about her crush on me in high school. I loved knowing my girl had thought of me for all these years, though I still hated myself for being so blind.

"So, you went to my soccer games?"

"Every single one," she admitted shyly.

"Damn it, Bella, now I feel bad. I have so much to make up for."

"No, it's fine, it's really fine."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what I had in store for you as an apology gift," I said, waggling my eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh," she said in realization, and even in the dark I could tell she was blushing.

"Tell me more about yourself in high school," I prompted her, desperate to know every detail.

By the time we got to Forks, I was desperate for more of Bella, in every sense of the word. I wanted to _know _her, inside and out. It was killing me.

"My house or yours?"

She bit her lip. "Yours? My dad will be home, and it's a small house… thin walls…"

"Right," I nodded, and sped around the corner, ignoring the stop sign. The city was dead at this hour, and the very few cops that made up the Forks Police Department weren't patrolling right now.

"Watch it, stud," she giggled. "Don't kill us before we can be together. I want to enjoy it without a broken neck."

I clenched my jaw and pressed my foot down a little bit harder. We pulled up in front my parent's house, which was dark, and I knew they were asleep. Not for the first time, I was grateful that our bedrooms were on opposite parts of the house, and that my folks were heavy sleepers.

I didn't plan on being too quiet tonight.

I practically dragged Bella out of the Volvo, and kept my head in the game, not kissing her, no matter how badly I wanted to. If I kissed her now, I'd end up taking her up against the door, and I was pretty sure that even being heavy sleepers, my parents would hear us from there. That wasn't a position I wanted to find myself in. Besides, Bella deserves the best, and at the least the first time we made love, I wanted it to be in a bed. My bed.

The house was completely dark, and Bella kept tripping over the edges of the rug as I pulled us into the house and shut the house behind her. I had no choice than to scoop her up into my arms and practically run up the stairs as fast as possible. Although, it was rather difficult to do with the raging hard on I had.

Bella kept giggling until she figured out that she was allowed to touch me again, and immediately began feasting on my neck, tugging at the collar of my shirt to get better access. I moaned and tilted my head to the side, allowing her to nip at my ear. Her hot breath was driving me insane.

I kicked open my bedroom door and slammed it hard behind us with my foot. I set Bella down on the ground and locked it firmly. There would be no interruptions. Time was short and I planned to make the most of it.

Bella stood at the foot of my bed, giving me the sexiest look I've ever seen in my life. She kept biting at her lip and looking up at me through her dark lashes. _Fuck me._

She giggled. I guess I'd said it out loud, because she actually said, "I intend to."

If I weren't already hard, I would be by now. As it was, my pants were entirely too tight now.

I walked slowly towards her, trying to prolong the tension between us. It was like torture, but I knew that it would make our reunion into each other's arms that much more intense. It worked. It seemed that by the time I reached her, she was trembling.

"Edward," she sighed as I wound my arms around her. I never wanted to let her go ever again. This felt too good, too right.

I lowered my head towards her, hearing her breath hitch and seeing her lips part as I dipped closer and closer. I could tell by the tautness of her muscles that she was fighting with herself to not push this forward. A stray whimper escaped her lips as I brushed our lips together lightly, barely touching.

"Edward," she moaned again, this time more impatiently. "Kiss me, goddamn it!"

I needed no further prompt. I crushed my mouth to hers, hearing her gasp in surprise and arousal. Her hands sought purchase on my shoulders, digging her fingers into my flesh. My hands cinched around her waist, bringing her even closer to me. Our bodies aligned and I knew the exact moment she felt me against her. She arched her back, bringing us impossibly closer. I was entangled in her, and it still wasn't enough.

I walked us back against the bed, and we tumbled onto it, still kissing fiercely. I tried my best not to crush her beneath me, while maintaining being as close as possible. One leg was trapped between hers, and she ground herself against my thigh.

I tore my mouth away, hating to do it, but needing to explore the rest of her body. I propped myself up so I was hovering over her, and ran my hand down the side of her body, brushing against her breast. Again, she arched her back, trying to get closer, encouraging me to keep going. The look in her eyes left me with no doubt. She wanted this just as badly as I did.

"Bella," I moaned, and she moaned in reply.

"Touch me, Edward," she begged. "Please."

I couldn't deny her anything. I reached between us to lift her shirt over her head, and I threw it across the room somewhere. She was a vision beneath me, in a simple white, lacy bra, and she looked simultaneously like innocence and sin.

"God, Bella, you're so beautiful," I told her. She really was. Her mahogany hair was fanning out across my pillow, her lips swollen with our kisses, her eyes dark with desire. I kissed her again, trying to express everything I felt through it. I pulled away and began nibbling at her collarbone.

"Too many clothes," she gasped, tugging at the hem of my shirt, and I helped her pull it away. It too went in the same direction as her shirt, only this time it landed hard against my lamp, knocking it over.

We were both too distracted to do anything about it. Our jean-clad centers ground together, creating friction while our mouths occupied each other eagerly. The skin-on-skin contact was amazing, but I needed more.

I ran my hands around the waist of her pants, gauging her reaction. Her hips rose off the bed, already helping me. I unbuttoned them quickly and pulled them off her body, doing the same with mine. Now we were in our underwear, and they were about to go, too.

Our lips fused together over and over, stoking the fires within us. I had to be inside her.

**BPOV**

I felt like I was going to explode. Edward felt perfect against me, like we were meant to be together in just this way. By now he had settled between my legs, and we were writhing against each other. The need to be closer to him was intense. I needed to feel him inside me, filling me and making me whole.

Because I knew, deep down, that this was it for me. That he would be the only one who could ever make me feel this way, the only one who could ever complete me.

It was a completely corny sentiment, but I couldn't help but feel that it was true. Edward and I were meant to be.

His skin against mine was mind-blowing. I couldn't stop running my hands against his strong arms, his toned back, the deep V leading downwards. I wanted nothing more than to follow that trail down and see exactly where it lead to.

Because it felt big, and hard, and ready for me.

I reached down between us and felt him through his boxers. Holy crow! He was enormous! Not that I had much experience comparing the size of guys, but I just knew that Edward was larger than average.

He groaned as I stroked his cock and wrapped my hand around it. He bucked his hips against me, silently asking me for more.

I couldn't tell him no. I pulled his boxers down and gasped as I saw all of him. He was more beautiful and perfect than I ever could have imagined… and he was ready for me. I made him that way. That thought alone had me wanting to cry with joy. After so many years of wanting and imagining, this was finally happening.

I kissed Edward and rolled him onto his back so I could concentrate on him fully. He cupped my face in his hands, making sure my lips never left his as I stroked his length, palming the head and gripping him firmly, but not too tightly.

I seemed to be doing it right, because Edward started thrusting his hips up to meet my grasp, and he was whimpering into my mouth with each stroke, moaning when I picked up the pace. I could feel his muscles starting to tighten up just as he pulled my hand away.

"What's wrong?!" I was severely disappointed.

"I want to cum… inside you…" he gasped, clearly trying to regain control of his body. His stomach muscles kept twitching beneath my hand. Seeing him like this, nearly out of control, his jaw tights and his eyes flashing with lust, nearly brought me to my climax without a single touch. He was so beautiful and sexy. _Mine, _I thought greedily.

He rolled me onto my back then, covering me once more with his powerful body. His kisses were intense and desperate, and I was just as needy. He settled himself between my thighs, and I could feel the tip of his cock at my entrance.

"Condom," he gasped, and reached over to his sidetable to pull out a condom from the drawer.

I grabbed the little foil package from him and ripped it open with my teeth. Edward's eyes widened as I did so, and then that sexy little smirk of his stretched across his face. I rolled it on as fast as I could, which wasn't incredibly fast because I wasn't exactly practiced at it, and then felt Edward at my entrance once more, fully sheathed. He ripped off my panties at the seam, and a new flood of arousal bombarded me.

He slipped inside me then, kissing me as he eased in slowly, allowing my body to accept him into me until he filled me to the hilt. I nearly sobbed at the completeness I felt. I felt so full.

Edward pulled back, after a moment, and slammed back into me. My eyes rolled into the back of my head, and my legs wrapped around his waist so he could be deeper inside me. I lost all control. I think I clawed at his back, I think I moaned his name over and over, I think I begged for more, but I was so far gone into the sensations he was giving me, that I lost all perception.

He latched onto one of my nipples, and I realized he somehow must have shed my bra without me noticing. His mouth was hot and his tongue and teeth were nearly too much to bear. "Edward," I moaned as I matched him thrust for thrust.

He picked up his speed, and shifted, and suddenly he was hitting what I presumed was my G-spot over and over again. I'd never felt anything like it before, and I was overwhelmed to the point of mindlessness.

"Holy fuck!" I screamed. "More! Edward, more!"

And he gave me more. I was crossed eyed and my toes curled with each passing thrust. I wasn't going to last much longer. I was whimpering with each movement of his hips.

"Bella, I'm so close!" he grunted. "Please, come with me, baby!" He began circling my clit with his long fingers, and I simply fell apart, screaming his name as I came hard around him. He was close behind me, erratically thrusting into me, and biting me gently on the neck before stilling and collapsing on top of me. I welcomed the weight.

"Oh my God," he said, placing kisses all over me. "That was…"

"I know," I said, licking the shell of his ear. "Amazing."

He kissed me gently before pulling out. I did not enjoy the sensation. I felt empty again. Edward disposed of the condom and then jumped back in bed, covering us both with the sheets and burying his face in the crook of my neck. One of his hands cupped my breast, tracing the outline of my erect nipple and making me shudder. I was so ready to go again.

"I love you," he whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: To say "my bad" would be a massive understatement. No explaination in the gap except... well... I got distracted? Sorry! This is totally unbetaed and unedited, fair warning!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it, just my silly little flights of fancy.**

**BPOV**

He... he loved me.

As I put on my black clunky work shoes the next morning, the words were still swirling around in my head. How... just... how...?

I'd loved him since we were fifteen, so obviously I wanted to say it back. But as he held me in the dark, all flushed and mussed from our amazing sex, the doubt couldn't help but creep in. I'd loved him from afar for so long that it seemed impossible that he could ever feel the same way. Especially since I'd been loving him for what seemed like forever when he'd really only gotten to know me for a few days.

Which was in turn making me question if I really loved him, or just the idea of him. And the sex too.

It was making my head hurt.

Edward called from downstairs. "Baby, we have to go!" We'd spent the morning making out and making each other moan. We were currently racing to get to work, our last day in that cramped little booth. It was going to be hard to be stuck together in that space knowing just how good we were together... and that he _loved _me.

He held the car door open for me, and only allowed me in if I gave him a kiss, which I gladly gave. I was confused about stuff, but I never wanted that boy to stop kissing me. Ever.

"After you madam," he said in a ridiculous French accent. You know, like the candlestick in Beauty & The Beast. I giggled and slid in. His hand found mine when he started the car, and we just held hands the entire way to work, in peaceful silence or in pleasant conversation.

It had rained overnight so everything was dewy when we got to work. Luckily, regardless of weather, we'd be nice and dry inside our booth, though I did make sure to grab an extra sweater before we climbed in the booth and locked the door soundly behind us.

Edward took the opportunity to push me up against the door and crush his mouth to mine, and I yelped in surprise, my arms wrapping instantly around his neck, bringing him even closer to me. We only had a few minutes to count our tills before we opened for the day, but I didn't stop his insistent lips either. My fingers wove into his hair and tugged, making him moan into my mouth. So sexy.

"We have to count..." I murmured against his lips, worshipping the contact. Yeah... I loved him. I was stupid to have even doubted that for a second.

He pressed his lips softly to mine once more before pulling back. God, it was cold in my arms when he was gone. "Then we'll count," he smirked, knowing full well what he was doing to me. I gave him a brief scowl before taking the few steps towards my drawer, entering the correct codes and opening the drawer.

We counted in relative silence, the only thing that could be heard was the sliding of bills together and Edward's incessant need to count under his breath. I finished first, and watched him as he flipped through the handful of twenties they'd given us. Those hands, that had made love to me last night, those lips that were slightly swollen from my kisses, everything about him entranced me. If he was going to school in Portland, how was I going to make it without him?

Obviously I was being dramatic, but it still tore at me. I'd just found him, or rather, he'd just found me, and the sixteen year old girl inside me was sobbing at the idea that the potential love of my life wouldn't be there.

"Bella?" His voice sounded mildly concerned, but mostly amused. "Did I lose you there?"

_Never. _"I'm fine, just waiting for you to get done, slow poke," I teased.

"Hey, I may be going to medical school soon, but that doesn't make me a mathematician," he joked. Another reminder he was leaving soon. I frowned a little before hopping up off the stool and placing a hesitant kiss on his lips. I was still nervous about initiating intimacy, but he didn't seem to mind as he placed a small kiss on my lips back, pulling away quicker than I'd have liked.

A customer stood, looking amused, with a wad of cash in her hand and three small children beside her. Well great. Giving the kids a nice little show through the window. Awesome. I took her money, a blush painting my cheeks, and she gave me one last smirk before sheparding her kids into the fair.

"We're going to have to be careful of that," I said after they were out of earshot, and he scooped me into his arms again. "Edward, I'm serious."

"I just don't know how I'm going to be able to keep my hands off of you all day, that's all," he grinned, placing a soft kiss on the tip of my nose. "I love you, I don't want to let go..."

My heart burst again hearing his words, but the words I'd so long wished to utter didn't come. I was too afraid he was thinking with his dick and not his heart. I wanted all of him, every part, if he was going to love him. And I wanted him to want the same.

The crowd began to pick up, all the kids coming in for the last minute rides, the parents of the 4-H-ers eager to bring home their goats, their rabbits, the prized cucumbers, young parents looking for something fun to do, strollers packed with umbrellas "just in case". Edward and I didn't have much time to talk, let alone touch, which was nice. It gave me less time to think, less awkward moments where I wanted to say "I love you too" but didn't.

Our supervisor allowed us to take our break at the same time, relief coming seven hours into our shift, and Edward bought us hot dogs as I melted onto the picnic bench. My feet were aching and throbbing, and not in a good way. "You're a godsend," I moaned as he slid the red and white checked container towards me. I slathered it in ketchup and mustard and took a giant bite, closing my eyes as I swallowed.

"Dear God," Edward choked out.

One eye peeked open. "What?"

The look on his face was pure, slack-jawed lust. His eyes were locked on my mouth, and I could see his Adam's apple bobbing. "I..."

I looked down at my hotdog and blushed scarlet when I realized just what thoughts were going through his head. "Ummm..."

He shifted in his seat. "Don't stop on my account..." He was smirking now. I briefly considered raising one foot up to massage his cock through his pants, but then I realized a mother was feeding her baby applesauce at the table next to us and I had to stop this mildly pornographic scene right now.

"Later," I mouthed, and he groaned a little before digging into his own hotdog.

I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a little sexy for me too.

I'm a pervert.

"Be good," I laughed when I noticed he kept his eyes trained on my mouth as I ate, giggling to myself. "There are kids around." Edward grumbled to himself but ate much more quickly after that, his eyes on the crowd rather than me. There was still a trace of amusement in his eyes though, that I found endearing and terrifying and adorable and...

What was I going to do? He was leaving in a matter of days and I had no idea when I'd see him again. And I couldn't stop the nagging feeling that I was somehow getting it too fast, too easy. He couldn't really love me, could he? He was probably just thinking with his dick. And yet he'd said it more than once...

Ugh, I wished I could just live outside of my head for once and just go with it. Be like Alice, who always said what she meant and got what she wanted without a second guess. I had always wished I could be more like that, but I was me, and I overthought everything.

"Bella?" I shook my head to stop this particular train wreck of a thought process, and saw that Edward was staring at me. "Did you hear me?"

"Uh, no," I muttered, taking the last bite of my hot dog.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go see the animals or something, since we have fifteen minutes left. See some of the fair before it ends."

"Sure," I grinned, happily walking to the opposite side of the fair. I wasn't into carnivals or crowds in general, but the horse barn, I loved. "I always wanted a horse when I was a kid," I admitted as we walked hand in hand through the stables, seeing which ones won what ribbons. "My mom always said 'someday,' but someday never came." I sighed wistfully.

"Did you at least get to ride?" Edward asked.

"No, I never got to." I stood in front of a stall with a green ribbon attached, the velvety nose of a chesnut mare just above eye level. "Hey there pretty girl," I said in my babies-and-animals voice. "Hi." The horse pressed her nose furthur out of the stall, and I timidly rose my hand up to stroke it, laughing as her nostrils flaired. "She's so big," I said incredulously, looking back to Edward.

The look on his face made my heart skip a beat. It was like a deaf person hearing Mozart for the first time or something. Like something inside him had shifted, altered his world. Because of me? "What?"

"N-n-nothing," he stammered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"OK then..." I gave the mare one last pat. "We have to go back," I frowned. The last few hours, and then this would be over. And potentially we would be over. And I was not ready for that.

Edward slipped my hand in his as we walked back. "I have horse dirt on my hands!" I protested, but his hand didn't leave mine as we approached the booths. We were almost there when Edward took a sudden veer to the right, taking me behind a row of tents where vendors were selling goods just on the other side. "Where-?"

We continued until we reached the small exhibition building on site, the crowd thinning until we turned the corner where we were totally alone. "Edward, we have to start in a few-"

My back hit the side of the building and his mouth covered mine, fierce and desperate. I whimpered, my arms instantly wrapping around his neck. More, I needed more of this man. His tongue brushed against mine and I forgot all about the register, all about that silly little booth. My fingers wove into his hair and I pulled him closer.

**EPOV**

This kiss was everything. I felt the shift within me, and I couldn't let go. My declaration last night might have been said in a moment of passion, but it didn't mean I didn't feel it. I couldn't explain it, this pull she had on me, but I knew if I pulled away now I'd be making the biggest mistake of my life.

I tried to convey everything in the kiss. Every bit of pain I felt at leaving soon, the way she made me feel, the way she turned me on even when she wasn't trying.

When I finally pulled back, she looked dazed, eyes hooded and slightly blurry. "Wow," she whispered. The kiss had knocked me from my feet- I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"We need to go now," I whispered back.

"No," she whimpered, but I guided her from the wall and lead her back to the booth. We had thirty seconds to spare before our shift started again. "You don't play fair," she hissed.

The night went quickly, we were busy with all the last minute fair goers, wanting their last cheap thrill on the Tilt-a-Whirl. Every once in awhile, our fingers would brush over the conterfeit pen, or a spare roll of register tape, but our contact and conversation was minimal. In ways, it was nice to know we could work together without constantly giving in to our needs, that we didn't need to speak to get along or feel comfortable, that we worked well together.

In other ways, it was just a reminder that we were wasting our time together. I wanted more time, not less, and my going to OHSU wasn't going to change. I was going regardless, but would I have her to come back to?

It struck with me that she had never responded to those three little words. After I'd moaned them out last night, she'd kissed me passionately and then fallen asleep curled around me. That was fantastic, but even when I'd said it this morning, she hadn't replied one way or another. I knew she felt something too. Maybe it wasn't as strong as what I was feeling.

I was feeling pretty Oprah-like right about now. Damn emotions. I shoved my thoughts down and got back to work. I hate teenagers. They always try for the child admission when they're clearly old enough to drive.

The end of our last shift rolled around and we said thank you to our employers and walked to the parking lot, my arm around her shoulders.

"God, my feet are killing me!" Bella cried, throwing her head back to the starry sky in theatrical pain. "Thank God we're done!"

I felt a stab of sadness I didn't expect. "Yeah, thank God," I said hollowly.

She looked up at me, frowning. "I know. I understand exactly how you feel."

"You do?" I asked, glad she felt the same way as I did.

"I already told you this wasn't a new rush of feelings for me," she said shyly. "I've liked you for a long, _long _time."

"Liked?" I pressed.

We stopped walking as we approached my car. I didn't unlock it, but instead waited. This was it. My heart was pounding in my chest, my senses honed in on her completely.

"More like... loved..." she said, and I let out an unexpected whoop, pulling her into my arms. "I still love you Edward, that's never changed."

I kissed her, deeply, passionately, and yet chastely. I wasn't trying to get her naked, I just wanted her to know how I felt. That I really meant it. And now she was going to find out something as well. When I pulled back, I rested my forehead against hers, calming my breathing. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course," she said, gazing up at me in a way I loved. She was playing with the hair at the back of my neck, distracting me.

"When we were lab partners in high school, I kind of had a crush on you."

"WHAT?" she burst out, pulling back and covering her mouth with her hands. "Are you serious?" she asked behind her hands. "Don't joke with me Cullen!"

I laughed at her reaction, she was just too cute. "I mean I was with Rosalie then-" Bella let out a snort of derision. "_But _I did think you were awful cute. And smart. I liked that you kept up with me, challenged me. Not many girls, especially then, ever did that. I mean... I hate to say I wasn't totally in love with you then, but I was very aware of you."

"I thought you barely paid attention to what I had to say," she said. "You were always so busy with everything, sports and your blonde girlfriend, and being absolutely perfect..."

My eyes bugged out at her. "Perfect? Hardly."

She got a mischeivious look on her face. She walked back into my arms, her hand slipping down to my crotch, giving my semi a squeeze. Nowadays it seemed like I was always at least at half-mast whenever she was around. "I'd say you're getting there."

I kissed the smirk off her face, and pulled away so we could climb into the car. "Same rules as last night?" I asked, and she nodded, grinning. We kept our hands to ourselves, and had a slow, measured conversation about the crazy customers we'd had that day, about how much I liked her in high school and how much we wished we'd said something to the other, about how much we couldn't wait to be alone... everything except the fact that in just a few days time we'd be separated.

"So, you love me?" she asked shyly, after the conversation had quieted.

"I do," I said, suddenly feeling shy myself. I'd never really been one to say those words; I'd always figured they were too important to just throw around to any old girl. I'd never even said it to Rosalie, which was good because it made it a lot less awkward that she was with my brother. Even though there was still that lingering "he goes where I've been" kind of feeling every once in awhile.

"So... you liked me in high school?" She was adorable, all blushing and awkward and unsure. I knew it was probably hard for her to believe, it was all so fast. Zero to sixty in less than a week. But these feelings hadn't just appeared from nowhere. I hadn't been crazy in love with her then, that was a recent development, but the feelings, the attraction had always been there. And now that I knew her a little better, as an adult, I knew I wanted to see more and more and more... that it would probably never be enough.

"I did. I loved how you would always check the microscope slide three times before writing down your answer," I told her, and she socked me lightly in the arm. It was one of the many quirks I had noticed; I had always been aware of Bella. Even if I was too stupid to recognize the reason at the time.

We chatted like this, giving each other small tidbits of our attraction, the things we'd been drawn to, the moments we'd shared.

"Will you visit me?" I burst out, right in the middle of Bella's story about how she liked my hair in the glowing light of a bunson burner.

"Of course," she said without hesistation. "I was hoping you'd ask me."

"I'll try to visit you as much as I can too," I promised. "I mean really, Portland and Forks aren't that far apart..." That was a lie, it would take at least four hours each way, but I didn't care about things like that. I wanted to be with Bella as much as possible, and I wasn't going to let a little thing like distance stop me now. Not when I knew just how amazing she was.

"That would be great," she smiled brilliantly, and slipped her hand into mine. I laced my fingers with hers and smiled to myself. It was breaking our "no touching" rule, but honestly, I didn't want to let her go.

**A/N II: Dunno if I deserve reviews after so long, but humor me? *sheepish smile* Epi to be posted presently!**


	5. Epilogue

**A/N: HEA's are in order! **

**Disclaimer: I only own the spectacularly cheesy scene that follows. ;-)**

**Epilogue**

** EPOV**

_Pace..._ The thing was burning a hole in my pocket. She'd notice the lump right away, know something was up... _Pace... _She'd called an hour ago, said she was almost driving into Vancover... where was she? She knows exactly where my apartment is, she's been here enough in the last two years... _Pace..._

For a guy in med school, where everything seems like a waiting game, I was not good at well, waiting. The doctors I worked with liked to remind me that patience was a good thing, that it could lead to saving a life. I could work on that, stilling my hand when I needed to, learning when to rush, when time was of the essence. But waiting on my girlfriend to show up at my place so I could go ahead a propose to her already... that was the hardest thing I think I'd ever had to do.

Bella and I had excelled in the "long distance relationship" department. We both hated it, and bemoaned the miles on a daily basis, but we knew in the long run that it was the right decision for us. She settled into Seattle after a short stint of waiting tables in Forks, which she hated, and started working for a popular day-care center, which she loved.

Meanwhile, I had been working my butt off in med school. Oregon Health and Sciences University, or OHSU, was an amazing place to study- I couldn't wait to begin my internship and residency- but it was too far away from my girl. I begged her dozens, if not hundreds of times, for her to move down to be with me, but she had been steadfast. She wanted me to concentrate, learn all that I could. She deemed herself a distraction, and I hated to admit it, but she was right. My first year had been crazy to say the least- the second was meyhem. But I needed her, and I wasn't going to stand for distance any more. We'd talked more and more about living together, and now I just had this gut feeling- I was right. We were meant to be together.

Finally, finally, I could hear her key slid into the lock, and the door opening, the rain pounding behind her.

"God, that was a ridiculous drive!" she panted as she set all her bags down. Her hair was dark brown with rain, and coming around her face in strings. Her cheeks were rosy, maybe from running from the car, and her shirt was gloriously thin. "You'd think people would know how to drive in the rain by now. It _is _the Pacific Northwest and-"

I scooped her up into my arms, and kissed her deeply. Her lips were wet from the rain, and colder than usual, but she parted her lips, and her tongue was like fire against mine. Yes, I needed this... always. I needed her in my life every single day.

"Mmmm," I moaned, the words trying to burst from my lips even as I kissed her. "Mmm... Bella."

"Fuck yes, Edward," she sighed, curling her fingers into my hair and winding herself around me, soaking wet and I didn't care. All I cared about was closer, closer, closer.

We stumbled back, until her back was flush against the door, and I was half-tripping over her purse. We stayed like that for what seemed like ages, the only sounds in the room of our kisses and the rain outside the threshold. When I pulled back to line kisses up and down her neck, she shivered, and whispered, "I should stay away more often, if this is how you greet me when I get back."

"No, no," I moaned, pulled back to look her in the eyes. "That is the opposite of what I want, the complete one-eighty of my goal today."

"Your goal?" she smirked. Her fingertips traced the collar of my t-shirt. "I have several goals for you, Edward. And most of them have to do with being a lot more horizontal than this..."

I loved the way she thought. But I had more important things on my mind at the moment. "Maybe... after."

"After?" I loved the little wrinkle she got between her eyebrows when she was confused.

"After I finish asking you to marry me."

**BPOV**

I was hallucinating. I was sixteen again, lost in love with my lab partner, and he had no idea who I was. I was shy, awkward, scared to talk to him. He was unreachable.

And reaching into his pants pocket for a small black box. OK, maybe not hallucinating...

"Bella... I can't live without you another minute. I know this isn't fancy... Hell, I can see through your shirt, for crying out loud!" I looked down and noticed just how chilly it really was in the room. Thin shirt, thinner bra. Oops. "But Bella, there's no one else in this world I want to spend my life with, and that's you. And I don't want to waste any more time."

He paused, like he was waiting for something from me. I gestured that he continue, unable to hold back the grin that was spreading across my face.

"So... I was wondering- hoping- I mean... I wanted to ask..." He was so nervous! I wished I had a camera so I could take a picture of him, he was practically sweating! I loved it. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," I said, without a moment's hesitation, nodding enthusiastically and feeling tears pricking up in the corner of my eyes. "Yes Edward!" I leapt into his arms again, and he kissed me deeply. We were so excited the kiss didn't last long, but a series of quick, smacking kisses followed before he pulled back to secure the ring on my hand.

"Someday I'll replace this with something bigger," he promised. "When I'm a successful doctor."

"You pompous ass," I laughed. "It's beautiful." It was; it was a silver, or maybe platinum, with tiny diamonds encircling it, and no solitaire. I loved it. "This ring is never leaving this finger, Edward, and I don't care what you say."

He took my hand in his and lifted it to his lips, kissing my finger over the ring. My heart melted. "I love you Bella."

"I love you Edward. Forever," I promised. _And ever, _I added silently in my head.

**A/N II: Awww... thanks for reading! (If you're still reading at all...)**


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